September 1, 2012

Here's the closeup of the sculpture, which you were commenting on last night, saying things like:

I'd rather see people representing that ideal than statues. But perhaps those two figures were as close to a Romney/Ryan photo as Althouse could get.

In the wider view, you can see the 2 figures are father and son. (Romney and Ryan do look a bit father-and-son when they stand side-by-side, not that Ryan seems in any way under the tutelage of Romney.)

The sculpture, called "The Pioneer Family" stands on the grounds in front of the North Dakota State Capitol, which you see in the background. It's rather unusual architecture for a state capitol. The old capitol burned down in 1930....

North Dakota Secretary of State Robert Byrne was able to save the original copy of the state's constitution, but he suffered cuts and burns on his hands while breaking a window to reach the document.

His name was Byrne and he was burned. He saved the Constitution!

Building a new capitol in the early 1930s, the architectural style they chose was art deco. It was the tallest building in the state of North Dakota. It still is.

I'm sorry to inform you that plaque is wrong. Well, partially right. It is the Pioneer family.

You see, the statue celebrates gay marriage. That's Doug Pioneer and Dave Pioneer. Dave took Doug's last name when they were married because Doug is senior partner and he was the guy with money and he pretty much controlled things. Oddly though, in one of those reversals that occurs between sex life and real life, it is Doug who is the bottom. Just say'n.

The lady is a social worker delivering their adopted baby. The statue captures the couple in a moment of joy and quiet celebration.

The “Pioneer Family” is a work by Avard Fairbanks. He has three sculptures in the US Capitol. He also sculpted the “Angels Moroni” that sit atop the Mormon Temples in Washington, D.C. and São Paulo Brazil.

Unless we realize Firestone's vision of reality, and human ego successfully subordinates the natural order, then the first level of social organization will continue to be the family, consisting of a mother, father, and their children.

He also sculpted the “Angels Moroni” that sit atop the Mormon Temples in Washington, D.C. and São Paulo Brazil.

I live fairly close to the DC Temple, drive past it each day on my way home from work, and have thought the late afternoon sun shining on the Angel statue really lovely. From the 495 beltway, the Temple looks taller than it actually is as it sits up on a hill.

When I went to search for a detailed picture of the Moroni statue, I found that Avard Fairbanks designed the ram symbol for Dodge.

Oops I posted that before I read Palladian's homage to early frontier fags. Didn't mean to be so heterosexist as if I were being homonegative. Wait, yeah I did. I am such a breeder. (But I never had any kids.) OK I am a gyno-American.

Not much coverage of the SEALs sitting on their hands at Obama's speech the other night, nor that he won't make it to Louisiana until next week because of the number of fund raisers he has scheduled for this weekend.

So the 'Eat shit/fuck you!' bit is still a ritual for students somewhere today? Warms my heart, and i'll let it go at that...but do the students know/understand the origins of this ritual? Is it up on YouTube somewhere? Has it nade OED yet for Althouse to reference?

Now that's hard core conservative: No Prius in that driveway. Horse and buggy, and the horse is out going door to door, and he can probably vote too. Thanks to the Dem's, he won't even need his I.D. "I'm here to vote. The name is Wilbur."

If any of you like Art Deco buildings, google images of the Anzac Memorial in Sydney, Australia. I'm so privileged to have visited it. It's much more imposing and impressive in person. The architecture of the building itself with the reflecting pool, and the interior's relief sculpture, star ceiling, and the stark and affecting sculpture entitled "Sacrifice" are incredibly affecting.

"The United States has some 68,000 troops fighting in Afghanistan. Over two thousand Americans have died in the more than ten years of that war, a war Mitt Romney has supported. Yet in his speech accepting his party's nomination to be commander in chief, Mitt Romney said not a word about the war in Afghanistan. Nor did he utter a word of appreciation to the troops fighting there, or to those who have fought there. Nor for that matter were there thanks for those who fought in Iraq, another conflict that went unmentioned.

Leave aside the question of the political wisdom of Romney's silence, and the opportunities it opens up for President Obama next week. What about the civic propriety of a presidential nominee failing even to mention, in his acceptance speech, a war we're fighting and our young men and women who are fighting it? Has it ever happened that we've been at war and a presidential nominee has ignored, in this kind of major and formal speech, the war and our warriors?"

Love that song MadMan. It's one of those tunes from the sixties that played so much on the radio that it infused right into the memories of the time. I hear it, and I'm a kid again hearing it coming from kitchen radios as I walk through the neighborhood barefoot on the way to the public pool, and the imagination of the world is unlimited again. Crazy is not scary, but exciting and promising again. The Apollo space program was just starting, and the unknown was all good to a kid, and probably his parents too. We were all living beyond the wildest dreams of our grandparents. Everything had that new world smell.

Shiloh, the troops were mentioned many times during the convention. Besides, I'm sure it would have been wrong for Mitt to repeat it - racist dog whistle or disrespectful, or some such drivel. Keep trying. We promise not to talk about the economy, or Obama's record until you're done.

"Has it ever happened that we've been at war and a presidential nominee has ignored, in this kind of major and formal speech, the war and our warriors?"

Well that does it. The 75% Republican military vote is blown. The Obama campaign can stop using its limited resources to suppress and disqualify military absentee ballots. I'm sure that will help the money problems they're having.

Considering how Romney failed to talk about our deployed military, Obama can brush off his last convention speech and reuse some lines about how he's gonna end the wars, close Gitmo, and bring our soldiers home.

Obama pulled the troops from Iraq, doubled down on Afghanistan and has been bombing the crap out of AQ in Paki based on the better intel he ordered ramped up. He also ordered SEALs to invade Paki and grease OBL. That's about what he said he would do. Next, he voews to get tour troops out of Afghanistan. Obama now has 4-years of military experience as commander in chief. Prince Romney's war experience was on a bicycle touring France recruiting for Moroni. The Reps had their chance with the terror wars. Also, Mitt is assembling a national security team of neocon retreads who can't wait to war with Iran. I'm inclined to let Barry Hussein finish the job getting us out of the middle east cluster.

Is there an effective difference in the words 'pioneer' and 'immigrant'?

I'm struck when the pro amnesty team says our nation was founded by immigrants, when I think its closer to say we were founded by pioneers. Big difference in coming to an established country and joining that society and striking out to make a new society.

Not fond of the look of the building, looks very functional and all, but c'mon we all know state government is ornamental at best, so the capital should reflect that by domes and columns and cornices etc.

Erica@10:04pm/If you come back to read this, yes, I agree. I visited the memorial while on R&R from Vietnam in 1968--a very moving experience. "Silence. This Place Is Sacred." states the inscription on the walls of the inner chamber. Indeed..

The ANZAC War Memorial is perhaps my favorite of all war memorials that is not a battlefield memorial.